Heather Knight needs to align all her stars
It is now over seven years since the famous and celebrated occasion when England’s women won the 50 over World Cup Final at Lords. Captain Heather Knight, at the time, was relatively new to the job, having been installed following the coup d’état which removed Charlotte Edwards in 2016. They lifted the trophy following a mesmerising, intoxicating final in which India seemed to dominate throughout, until Anya Shrubsole demolished their innings with nine runs still needed. It was as if, just at the last moment, the stars aligned in England’s favour and India were left deflated and disappointed.
Seven years on and we still await another global triumph. The story of the last seven years has hardly been one of decline for England. The state of English women’s cricket is healthier than it has ever been. The England team of 2024 would certainly beat the England team of 2017 – the batting and spin options are superior (although one could argue that Brunt and Shrubsole have never adequately been replaced in the pace department).
It's just that the opposition has got better as well.
Of the five global competitions since 2017, England have got to three semi finals and two finals without getting close to winning any of them. Of course, the winner of all five of those competitions was the same team: Australia. Since England’s triumph at Lord’s they have lifted the T20 World Cup three times, humiliating England in the final in 2018 in the Caribbean, demolishing India at the MCG in 2020 and in February last year defeating hosts South Africa. Add to that the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham in 2022 and the 50 over World Cup in New Zealand earlier that year and what becomes apparent is not only that England have fallen behind Australia, but they are in danger of falling behind other sides too.
England have some outstanding players. The home Ashes of 2023 was a fantastic series in which a talented bunch of England players showed how good they could be and came very close to winning back the Ashes against a formidable Australian side. The post-Meg Lanning Australia do seem slightly more vulnerable than the 2018-2022 side ever seemed and maybe the T20 World Cup of 2024 is the moment they might be finally overtaken.
However, there is a suspicion that England are somehow slightly less than the sum of their parts. They are a talented bunch of players rather than a winning team. If they are going to once again become champions of the world, it is now the job of Heather Knight to align her own group of stars into a winning configuration. She needs to get more out of this team.
England’s batting is really strong. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Maia Bouchier, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Heather Knight and Amy Jones are six formidable batters. Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn are brilliant spin bowlers – three of the best in the world. Lauren Bell consistently takes wickets with the new ball. England have an embarrassment of riches. And yet this talent has not resulted in global success.
This is the moment for Knight to show her quality. When she won the 50 over World Cup in 2017 she was an inexperienced international captain. She is now the most experienced of all the captains at this World Cup. To captain one’s country for eight years is an exceptional run. To captain them to three semi-finals and two runners-up spots in seven years is not the legacy Knight would want. She established her reputation as a winner on the global stage, she needs to bring home another trophy soon or, by the nature of international sport, she will be running out of chances.
Amy Jones needs to step up
Amy Jones is the best wicket-keeper in the women’s game. She is so consistent and so highly skilled. She is also a devastating hitter of a cricket ball whose batting can really make the difference between winning and losing, particularly in T20 cricket. And yet, in the really high pressure moments, when the team really needs her to step up, she has tended to disappoint. For England to win the World Cup, Amy Jones needs to be at her destructive best throughout, and particularly in the high pressure knockout moments.
In the last World Cup semi-final 18 months ago, Jones joined Heather Knight at the crease with 22 balls to go. England required 32 runs to win. This was the moment for Jones to be the finisher. Three balls later, Jones was dismissed and England’s very long tail failed to wag at all. South Africa defeated England and reached the final of their own World Cup.
Whilst it is unfair to criticise one player on the basis of one innings, it is also worth pointing out that this was her moment, her opportunity, something she has shown she can do in regional cricket and in bilateral international games, but she didn’t do when it was needed in the World Cup. We can look at the Commonwealth Games semi-final when she shared a 50 partnership with Nat Sciver-Brunt before being run out with 30 runs still needed from 16 balls, or the 2022 ODI World Cup final, when she game to the crease at 86 for 3 after 15 overs with England still requiring 270 to win and Nat Sciver-Brunt in scintillating form and needing established batters to stay with her at the crease. Jones departed five overs later for 20 runs.
For England to win the World Cup, we need Amy Jones to step up at the key moments.
Sophie Ecclestone needs to be back at her devastating best
Have you ever heard anyone mention that Sophie Ecclestone is the number one bowler in women’s cricket? It’s one of the most often repeated phrases in the game. And Ecclestone is great. However, this hasn’t been a great year for her.
In the last World Cup semi final, South Africa decided to simply not take her on and respectfully nudged and nurdled 5.5 runs per over from her allocation whilst smashing all the other England bowlers for almost 9 runs per over. This summer she has produced a couple of excellent performances - her 5 for 25 in the ODI against New Zealand at Worcester was brilliant, as was her 4 for 25 against the same opposition in the T20 at Canterbury. But it was Sarah Glenn who really shone in that series, outperforming Ecclestone to take the player of the series award.
On top of this, Ecclestone had an indifferent season as captain of Manchester Originals in the Hundred, taking only five wickets in seven games. If England are to win the World Cup, all three of their spinners need to perform, but it is Ecclestone who needs to bring back that fear factor into her game. In doing this, she will not only take wickets, she will buy wickets for her fellow bowlers as the opposition try to compensate for her economy by taking greater risks against Glenn, Dean and Bell.
Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp need to prove themselves as a top all-rounders
Dani Gibson announced herself as an England player with an audacious one ball innings. With England teetering on the edge of an Ashes defeat at Lord’s, it was Dani Gibson who came in to bat and reverse swept her first ball for four to win the game for England. In the last twelve months we have seen glimpses of Gibson’s abilities with bat and ball. However, she can also be the sort of “all rounder” who is out for single figure scores when batting and gets hit for 10 an over when bowling. In all likelihood, England are going to need Gibson to bowl in this World Cup. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s workload needs to be carefully managed. Lauren Bell is the only other seam-bowling option.
For England to be successful, either Gibson or Freya Kemp need to be able to bowl a couple of decent overs in every game. Each of them will also need to be the “emergency” finisher if England are going into the final two overs with six or seven wickets down and still needing some quick runs. For Kemp, her enforced break from bowling following a stress fracture of her back has enabled her to develop her batting. She has bowled a small amount this season, but her bowling performances on the tour of Ireland showed that she is still some way away from being as good a bowler as she was before her injury and it will be difficult for England to rely on her. One suspects that either Gibson or Kemp will play in every game in this World Cup. It’s a great opportunity for one of them to seize and establish themselves as an indispensable part of this England team.
Will England win the 2024 T20 World Cup?
England will progress to the semi-final, where they will almost certainly play either India or Australia. If they win that game, they will play either India or Australia in the final. So England's hopes hang on the ability to beat both of those teams. It seems slightly more likely that England will once again fall short in a crucial knockout game.
England were not well tested by either Pakistan or New Zealand over the summer and too many variables need to come right for England to succeed in this tournament. However, if England can grow as the tournament develops, if the stars align for them again, just as they did in 2017, there is a chance for England. And it’s that possibility that will keep us all hooked as we watch over the next three weeks.
Largely agree with this analysis. I agree that England are probably a good enough team to win the World Cup. I agree that they probably won't.
I think the calendar hasn't worked to their advantage. The mix of youth and experience in the team would be an exciting prospect going into a home World Cup but we have to wait another 2 years for that. Conditions in the UAE won't suit England and I fear that by the time 2026 rolls around the team may not be in quite such a good place. Wyatt and Knight will do well to remain dominant batters at age 35. England have been remarkably free of injuries in recent years which may not last…